1. Field of the invention
This invention relates generally to a board game, and more particularly to a board game having a playing board comprising a matrix of horizontal ranks and vertical rows forming a square array of playing squares, with a border adjacent to the square array. The border is marked with one of four distinct indicia adjacent to each rank and row.
Four sets of playing pieces are each marked on the front face with one of the four indicia marked upon the border of the playing board, adjacent to each rank and row of the square array.
To play, all playing pieces are turned with their front face indicia tuned down to form a drawing pile, and any number of playing pieces greater than the playing squares in the square array are removed from play without looking at the indicia on the front face.
Each player draws six playing pieces to begin play. Players alternate turns, placing any one of their playing pieces on any one of the playing squares, with the indicia front face up, without matching the indicia on any adjacent playing piece or adjacent border area. Upon completion of each play, the player draws one playing piece from the drawing pile to maintain six playing pieces in their hand, until all the playing pieces are removed from the drawing pile.
Play continues until one player plays all of their playing pieces on the playing board without matching any of the adjacent indicia, or until one player is blocked from playing their remaining playing pieces.
Points may be awarded to the winner, and additional points may be awarded to the winner for each playing piece remaining unplayed in the other players hands at game's end.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Board games utilizing playing pieces are numerous, and well known in the art. Checkers and Chess utilize a playing board of uniform size having alternating colors formed in eight rows and ranks. However, players are not allowed to place their playing pieces anywhere on the board, and strict rules govern the movement of the pieces on the board. The present invention, does not allow movement of the playing pieces once they have been played, until game's end.
4,463,952 discloses a color match board game, having 64 squares and 48 chips. The chips are divided into four triangular areas and colored in one of six colors. The border adjacent to each rank and row is marked with one of three colors. The player must place one of his chips adjacent to a similar color at the edge of the board. To continue play, similar colors must match on all adjacent squares.
4,244,581 discloses a game with pieces preventing adjacent placement. The playing pieces include at least two separate sets of playing pieces, with each player having all the playing pieces in each set. No border indicia is disclosed or required.
4,138,120 discloses a board game utilizing sixteen playing pieces and sixteen squares arranged in four rows and four columns. The playing pieces comprise four sets of four pieces in each set. Two concepts, such as shape and color are combined on each playing piece. Each player receives a set having identical characteristics. Play alternates, and points are scored for three or four like characteristics in series, by each player.
The game of TIC-TAC-TOE is also known in the art. Three columns and three rows form a matrix of nine playing squares, and the players selectively place their mark (such as X or O) upon the board in an attempt to align three of their marks in a row. If no one aligns three of their marks in a row, the game is declaired a draw.
The present game may be played with or without points; is played with a playing board having an array of ranks and rows, and four sets of playing pieces having a number equal to 0 greater than the number of playing squares in the square array. Applicant's game does not require cards, dice or other apparatus; may be played by two, three, four players or more players; and does not require complicated rules to provide an enjoyable game for children or adults.